- And what is the name of this "master" of yours? Maybe I know him? — the princess asked casually.
"Of course, you know, I'm sure," I nodded, "Master Piandao." You have already been burned more than once or twice for knowing too much about me. It looks like I collected a dossier or something similar.
"It's a lot of honor, I still have to collect a dossier on you," Azula snorted, "special services have collected it." And how do you address the crowned person?
"Ah, excuse me, deeply respected princess of the Fire Nation, from now on, I will even warn you about danger, not forgetting to add verbiage and your love of charity, not forgetting to touch on the topic of my love for the fatherland, so...
"That's enough," the princess couldn't stand it, narrowing her eyes slightly, oh, they'll take revenge on me, "that's enough." I understood. I allow you to address me as "you" only without familiarity.
- Got you, now can I continue my training? - I said, not forgetting to add a drop of poison.
"I permit," the princess nodded, sitting down nearby.
Bitch.
The plan was a good one, after that memorable duel where she threw my favorite rapier overboard. Hm, well, the only one, but my favorite! I tried not to interfere with her. She has her own chambers, her own security. So let her sit there and do whatever her royal soul pleases.
But no, my plan worked for exactly a couple of days, and then she found me at my daily morning workout. Well, when I found it, I went out onto the deck, where I trained.
Although, maybe she went out on her own for the sake of training, and at first she was recovering from seasickness in her chambers... maybe, maybe.
In any case, our dialogue took place almost immediately when she came out and noticed me. The deck is still quite large and there may have been chances to miss each other, but... "you were noticed," so to speak.
And then, looking at me carefully for a good ten minutes, Azula Azulonovna deigned to offer:
- Hmm, get up, let's spar again. This is clearly better than your "training," she clearly put a fair amount of irony into the last word.
Well, it's not customary for the Fire Nation to meditate, comprehend oneself, and so on. Everything is simple here. The harder you hit, the stronger the blow. What kind of meditation and self-awareness are these? And that's exactly what I've been doing the whole time Azula has been here.
Spy, damn it. I still didn't have enough for her to put two and two together when she saw how I was training with a far from standard fire kata.
More likely even obviously airy. And given my fighting style and many other factors, the question is when she will reveal me, to be honest, only time.
I just hope, during this period before the disclosure, to prove that I am a loyal person and stand up for the Fire Nation. And maybe it will work...
Well, either I'll run to be a partisan or a mercenary like June. And what to do? Well, I think it's unlikely that it will come to that. I am too valuable a resource to be thrown away. Hm, and also very modest, yes.
In any case, we hope for the best and prepare for the worst.
Therefore, I will have backup options, that's for sure. The main thing is to somehow smoothly bring the princess to this moment. Smooth.
"Why not," I shrugged, "I suggest regular sparring without weapons."
"Hmm," was the answer.
Well, joint training is not the worst thing that can happen.
When we sailed to the part of the Fire Nation island where Master Piandao lived, I discovered something very surprising to me.
It turns out that running alone with your acceleration is one thing, a two-hour journey there, two hours back, but traveling with the princess, who has also expressed a desire to visit such a legendary figure, is already a kind of torture.
It takes two hours just to unload the cart and animals, collect supplies, and then drive there for a good twelve hours, or even twenty.
And I have to sit in this royal cart, although in fact it's more likely a carriage than a cart, but nevertheless, that's what I call it.
Out of harm. And also sit opposite the princess, listen to her valuable caustic comments and answer questions.
Okay, it's not that bad, if you get past her defensive sarcasm, she's quite an interesting person:
- As far as I know, you were captured by the people of Earth, is that true? — she asked a question casually. Apparently she didn't really know how to approach this.
"It was the case," I answered briefly…. I won't say that this event traumatized me... well, damn it, it traumatized me and I don't really want to remember it. There is nothing pleasant about the fact, about the feeling that you might soon kick your hooves away. Yeah, and also in the fact that at one point, you gave up and were ready to die. A persistent airbender turned out to be not so persistent.
"Tell me more," there was no demanding note in her voice; after all, the topic was clearly not very convenient for her. Not such a bitch, if you look closely - it's an order - if you look really hard, hmm.
- There is nothing to tell there. My scout and I got caught rather stupidly; he was sent for help, and at that moment he was trying to survive. I was able to overcome the attacking group, so to speak, but I didn't expect any help. That's where they caught me," I shrugged.
"I'm not interested in how you got caught, but in what was there," the princess continued to insist.
- Why? — I couldn't resist and asked a question, "Would you like to hear about what they did to me?" How did it hurt me?
"Just to find out what to prepare for, if anything," Azula hardened her face and said in a boring, emotionless voice.
"Nothing good," I twitched my lip, not intending to apologize or anything like that. She gets into her soul, and then she deigns to pretend that she had nothing to do with it - they took me as an officer of the Fire Nation and for some reason they thought that I was an avatar. Maybe they were so impressed by my blue fire. If they take you, then most likely the war will end there, because there will be bidding for you.
- Why did it happen? — the princess raised one eyebrow. For aristocrats this seems to be a hard-wired ability. May, June, and now Azula.
- Since...
"Father will definitely feel sorry for me, but he will not change the course of the war because of this event," the princess explained.
Apparently, like any soldier, the question of being captured clearly arises in her head and frightens her. And she thought about it many times. And this also says a lot about our leader.
Moreover, it is not clear whether it is good or bad. More likely even good.
"Don't get me wrong, but if any of the military heard this news, they would be glad that the Ruler would choose the country - pretentious, but true. This even made her smile a little crookedly. But it's clear that she was still waiting for my answer.
"Eh, okay, look," I said, taking off my gloves and showing off my black nails. Azula almost managed to contain her surprise, but her eyebrows shot up for a second, "that's blood under the nails." Mostly they were busy pushing needles in there for me. They beat me. And they left me in a dark, damp room without light, food, toilet, etc., for weeks.
"Hmm," was all Azula said to this.
- Let me remind you, they thought it was an avatar. "And they didn't want me to die," I said, "so they acted carefully, trying not to "break" me. Plus you are also a beautiful girl. You can't expect anything good in captivity.
Azula didn't react at all to the "beautiful" one, but in general the story made an impression on her. And she stared out the window. I already thought the excursion into my life was over, when five minutes later she spoke:
- How did you escape?
"Someone smart left a narrowed torch as lighting," I shrugged, "so I used it."
"Idiots," the princess muttered.
"Don't tell me," I shrugged again, "I was already kept for a long time without food, beaten and very thirsty." It was a miracle that I was able to cast magic.
"But nevertheless, you had the strength to break out of there," said the princess, "and where was it in the end?"
"In some city," I shrugged, trying not to show that I was lying. It turned out, I'm sure, great with the wind in my head - I ran away at night and immediately scurried far away, so I can't say with certainty who and where.
Oh, no, I won't rush to talk about Basingse, thank you. And about how I was able to escape only because they didn't know the characteristics of air magicians. Damn it, we are going to that city after all. Class, one might say that the time limit for when my lie will be revealed is already indicated. Cool!
No.
"Yes, boys, you are, of course, great," said a voice in my head, which I have recently stopped hearing. In his own words, for now, he needs to hibernate and often, - "He built his own little empire of lies. And now you're afraid it will collapse. No, on some side, as a universal evil," he emphasized the last two words with a certain sarcastic intonation, "I approve, but on the other hand, you have to sort out all this shit later."
- "Thank you for your valuable comments. Were there any better ways out?" I answered.
"Fuck him," he replied, "I'm not your psychologist. Maybe it was, maybe it wasn't. Now you have to spin."
And he fell silent, the bastard. Well, of course, I inserted a random phrase, said how bad I am, blurted out sarcasm about how I was treated in this world, and left.
"They're idiots anyway," the princess said, "giving the enemy such a direct chance to escape is utter stupidity."
"Maybe," I answered at length, slightly flashbacking to those events, "maybe."
***
Finally I saw the familiar outlines of the city. Which means another half hour and I will finally be, one might say, at home. And these one-on-one dialogues with Azula will end. Which is also important.
Because she very smartly tried to slowly extract absolutely all the details about my life. And I tried to give some general answers about this and that and change the subject.
At the same time, she understood that I understood that she understood, but everyone was happy with everything and we played such an interesting game, at least interesting for the princess. For me, rather mentally exhausting. So I'm very glad it's over.
"Aki," the Master met me not far from the entrance, "I see you decided to come with your entire retinue." Has he really become such an important big shot in the army...? Oh-oh-oh, and he brought the girl with him. The maids will be upset. Hehe.
"Master Piandao," I greeted, "It's a good joke, of course, but I'm sure you know who it is." This is Princess Azula.
"Ah," all that the Master answered with a slightly confused look, maybe he didn't know, hmm, after all, a man slightly cut off from the world, "well, not bad, not bad," he added and patted me on the shoulder. What a piece of shit, and I've already forgotten.
The princess at this time was moving away from the insolence that no one had dared to show her before. But apparently she knew about my Master and apparently expected something clearly extraordinary. And he knows that the Master's previous conflict with the authorities ended... not with the most pleasant outcome. For the authorities, of course.
The master after this gained incredible popularity both as a sword master and as a master blacksmith. So you can say it's a PR move of its time, hehe.
"I'm not his girlfriend," the Fire Mage said in a freezing tone, when she pulled herself together a little, and it took literally a couple of seconds, "and I never will," she added with some incomprehensible intonation.
Well, it's clear here, aristocracy, blah blah blah, how you can even touch each other before the wedding, and agreed upon on both sides. What relationships. Fuck, blah, blah.
Well, or something like that, I can't say exactly what's in her head.
"Your Master is interesting in person, of course," my personal Shiza said, "I don't know where he learned such secrets, but any modern magician will run away from him, his heels sparkling, including your new girlfriend and you, it's worth he has to fight to the death"
- "What secrets?" - I became interested.
- "Eh, no, I won't tell you. You can guess it yourself. Probably," the spirit chuckled.
"We seem to be on the same team," I said indignantly, "if there is an opportunity to strengthen me, then why not tell me?"
"Because you have to understand it yourself," the spirit added, "That's why I didn't tell you and Piandao anything. Maybe, of course, he himself doesn't fully understand, but rather, he simply understands that he has to figure it out himself."
- "Lord, where did you pick up all sorts of slang?" - I mentally rolled my eyes, - "boy", "sniff"
- "I communicate as I want. Or should I return the communication style of the "Spirit of the Ocean"?" Vatu clarified.
- No thanks! - I exclaimed. By ear.
And then everyone paid attention to me. Or more precisely, Piandao and Azula. For them, literally a couple of seconds passed, mental communication excludes the moments of "hearing", "understanding", so everything happens instantly.
"No, thank you, I don't need a relationship," I added, remembering Azula's last words, "such, um," I supposedly coughed as I said the word. Everyone heard.
- What are these "such"? - the princess clarified.
- A? What are you talking about? - I fell like a fool, - princess, do you hear something? This may be an unhealthy sign," but seeing that her face had acquired some too serious expressions, he rolled his eyes and continued, "royal, princess, royal relations." Not to mention that I still prefer love.
"Hmm," all that Azula answered was, "Oh, this plebeian approach."
- Ha-ha, who told you that I'm a plebeian? - I answered and only then bit my tongue, - in any case, Master, maybe we can go somewhere and talk? I have some circumstances and I need your help.
"Of course, of course, follow me," said the Master and went, I, of course, followed him. The habits from the time of my training still remained, and the princess, indignant at this attitude, at least facially, followed.
It seems that she is not satisfied with this... standard attitude towards her person. Well, what can you do, let him get used to it. So what to do?
- So? - said the master when the three of us sat down at the desired table in his office, - apparently, my student came to his favorite teacher for a reason.
"Not without this," I admitted, "due to some... um... circumstances," at this moment Azula only raised her chin up even more. After all, she was already sitting in the lotus position with her hands folded and her face slightly arrogantly raised, and here she was even higher, they say she had nothing to do with it - my previous weapons were irretrievably lost. Simply put, the rapier flew overboard and fell into the ocean. Chasing after her, with all my desire, did not make sense, you understand.
"Hm," Piandao choked when it dawned on him exactly how, plus or minus, I lost the weapon, "a sword should grow with its owner, and...
"Master, let's not have your philosophical thoughts," I interrupted him, "Look, the fact is that the rapier is a very good weapon, suitable for me, but it's too big..."
- Oh, you can calmly...
"Yes, wrap it up, hide it, but a package of this shape still raises questions," I interrupted him, just as he did before, "I need a small weapon." A dagger, maybe or some kind of high-quality knife. Or something like that. I simply cannot act as a spy in an enemy city while carrying a long stick on my back.
"Well," the Master rubbed his chin, "this is quite doable." Specifically, we'll think about the type of weapon while we forge your rapier again. I have a couple of ideas. In the meantime, let's play a game of Pai Sho.
"Oh, Agni, Pai sho," Azula grimaced, "Show me my room, I'm not going to watch you lay out chips for several hours."
"Great, Lee, be so kind as to show the princess her chambers," said the satisfied Master, who was clearly counting on this effect when he offered to play Paisho.
The obedient maid, who had been standing near the wall all this time and pretending to be a piece of furniture, broke away from her and walked up to the princess, who stood up without a word and turned around and left.
Of course, this is an extreme degree of disrespect for us, but we are not very hospitable people with the Master, you know. Therefore, they simply shrugged their shoulders at this passage.
"The old man is trying to figure out what's in people's heads, I want to tell you. He's too fumbling," the spirit said and fell silent.
And how do you want him to understand these words?
"You're a great fellow, Aki," Piandao said first of all, "in the north you pulled off everything just brilliantly." The People of Water as a whole survived, and even moreover, the attitude towards them in our times is more than luxurious. Paku wrote to me. The right people in the right positions and no atrocities or other such things. For ordinary people in the village, life has hardly changed. Of course, some were taken with their families to the islands, some to other colonies, soon some from other colonies will go there to settle, in general, the People are intact and the magic of water does not fade into oblivion.
- Why is it that the more I listen to members of the Order, the more it seems to me that I am participating in some kind of revolutionary cell, and not a gathering of strong people? — I asked a rhetorical question.
"Because strong people in our world are often also smart," the Master chuckled, "there is no other way to rise above the average." And with intelligence comes some understanding. What does it matter to the Fire Lord that the Water People live in better conditions than they could? There are no revolutions, doctors are working properly, and even more than that, now we have a couple of water doctors in the main hospital of the capital. Of course, they are under strict control and are rarely allowed to see patients, and they also sit there with excellent carrots and sticks, but the essence is the same. In about a couple of months, doctors will already be ready in the key hospitals of the colonies, and the seriously wounded at the front are being dragged there...
"Considering that the war should end soon one way or another, this is frankly a dubious prospect," I shrugged, "for the army." How many dozen water workers can do for an entire army? Almost nothing. And then...
"Aki..." the Master sighed, "it's not that simple." This war is of course an event and it is unlikely that in the next hundred years after it we will have an army... on this continent.
- What? - I didn't understand.
"This is strictly classified, but even Azulon, at the end of his reign, sent research missions into the ocean away from the continent," said the Master, "many scientists estimated this way and that, looking at the stars and the fact that the land on which we live rounded and came to the conclusion that there must be something there somewhere. A strange, slightly inductive method, but the arguments are sufficient to send a couple of ships to investigate. And they returned. To the west of the Fire Islands, after a good month of travel by ship, there is land and habitation. They did not stay there for long, as was ordered, they tried to sail, could not and swam back, however, this factor must also be taken into account.
— They sailed there for a month? — I raised one eyebrow, my inner being shocked by such discoveries. In fact, the view of the world here seems to have not moved very far from "we are flat crap on a huge turtle, around which the stars, the sun and the moon are circling," something like that. I don't remember, to be honest, but this discovery was impressive. I thought about something similar, considering the small size of even the continent. At the level of North America somewhere. But somewhere there may also be a conditional Eurasia.
"In any case, Ozai did not send more expeditions there or I don't know about it, but both Azulon and Ozai keep in mind the moment and the factor that danger can come from the other, unexpected side," said the Master, putting out chips, - so we need to prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
"Hmm," I said, withdrawing into myself.
- "What do you say about this?" - I asked my schizophrenia.
- "Do you think I'm a universal reference book?" — he asked a logical question, "We have a common goal and path, but I'm not going to reveal to you all the secrets of the universe that you can only think about and that will not help you on the path to our goal. Why do you need information about other people? Will it somehow help kill the avatar or something?"
To my harmful schizophrenia, which knows everything, but doesn't want to talk. Maybe he likes cheese?
***
"I'm telling you this so that you think about a longer term than this war, Aki," the Master sighed, "your thoughts should not get hung up on this, some subsequent war is a purely theoretical thought, but nevertheless, You must keep in mind that we need victory at the lowest possible price. I'm sure Azula is aware of this, I'm sure that's why she was sent on such a super difficult mission. The entire top apparatus of the Fire Nation operates with an eye on the second front.
"Aren't they playing it safe too much?" Honestly, about a month into the journey, there are still people, and even then not exactly - well, here I'm sure it's most likely accurate - and they have nothing else to do, send an army here right away?
- Do you know exactly what kind of magicians live there? - Piandao raised one eyebrow and chuckled slightly, - sometimes you get into the outback, you can find some kind of hermit-genius who has achieved everything himself and casts spells no worse than the best fighters - that's for sure, it's worth remembering at least the girl Toph, an earthbender better than whom I have never met - and there? Are you sure that in terms of technical progress they have not overtaken us? Then they sailed there on sails, now on coal, most likely the journey there will take less time, but what if they overtook us in technical progress and the journey to our island will take a week? What then? — Piandao continued to pile on, "No, it's quite likely that there are people running around there with sticks and wearing loincloths, but how did I teach you?" It's right not to underestimate the enemy, which is what you often do. So it is here.
Such revelations gave me a headache. I don't remember anything in the canon, nothing like that. Thank God they burdened me so much that I understood the seriousness! And not something out of the ordinary, right now, solve this issue however you want. I shuddered at this prospect.
"Okay, these are all questions of a philosophical nature," the Master sighed, "let's get back to everyday ones." What weapon would you like for yourself?
"Well, firstly, restore my rapier so that I have my favorite weapon," I began to bend my fingers after placing the chip in its position, "secondly, most likely the simplest thing is knives." Just two daggers and a dozen throwing babies, and the best thing is that they look like something of poor quality.
- Why else? — the Master immediately got excited, "I only make unique things!" My weapon is the best in the world! They are bought for fabulous money! Yes I…
"And I need the guards to find, during a search, not the best weapon in the world, but ordinary consumer goods, at least by appearance," I typed, "and I would like it to be by appearance, because I would categorically use real consumer goods." did not want.
"Hm," was all that the Master said, making a dissatisfied face and hovering over the pai-sho board. He didn't want to do this. He was used to making swords and everything else in such a way that from afar it was clear that they were not bought in an ordinary shop. And here, I ask you to do the opposite.
Not to mention the fact that he understands how much I need this for banal survival. So he overcomes his own arrogance.
Of course, based on the results of searches and agreeing with me. How could it be otherwise?
Then we chatted some more about various little things and finished our game of Pai Shaw. Then they went to their rooms.
The next day the work just began to boil, the Master got me up at the crack of dawn, around twelve in the afternoon, and we went, after a little warm-up, of course, we first went to forge a rapier.
Taking into account all my experience and many different points, the Master concluded that the blade on the rapier should be made wider. For what? I don't know. As a blacksmith, I can only be an assistant, but somehow I cannot get there on my own. Forge something? Easily. Invent or show creative imagination? Oh no no no.
Difficult in general. Of course, if I had practiced in this path, and not as a warrior, then sooner or later I would, of course, step further. But, unfortunately, I have no time for peaceful affairs of this kind.
War is like that.
In any case, after a whole day of work, towards evening, I sat down to draw quietly, looking at the Master's garden. I wanted to capture something from here. Therefore, for about two hours now I had been looking at the garden from an inconspicuous nook, from there I had a pretty good view.
To be surprised to discover a princess who decided to practice. Her appearance, movements and blue fire fit so harmoniously into the rest of the picture that while she was training, I sketched her image.
In the midst of a peaceful, sleek garden, there is such a pure raging element with beautiful swirls. This is how the picture turned out.
Which I called simply, but in my opinion succinctly: "Storm."
I completed the painting unnoticed and retreated back into the building. I decided not to sell this painting, somehow... it would come in handy myself. I put it in a special suitcase for paintings and went to bed. I was pretty tired after a day at the forge.
For the next few days, almost a week, I did not interact with Azula, mainly because I was busy at the forge, where the princess wisely did not interfere. Because Master Piandao's work is too good and, of course, he has his own secrets, so outsiders, even princesses, are prohibited from entering the forge.
No, of course, she could, using her origins as a trump card, go and stay here, only then the master would close the production of weapons to everyone and everything. In that spirit.
In general, politics gave me a house from an evil aunt in the forge and in her room, where it is simply indecent to break into.
It's not that Azula is looking for me, but she's clearly annoyed by how rarely I catch her eye.
But all good things come to an end, and so did the forging of all my weapons.
First of all, the rapier, which received a wider blade, but in principle did not change, still possessing the same slightly florid guard. Nothing much has changed here.
Secondly, two blades. The size was from my hand to my forearm with difficulty, but I managed to make it from their quality materials, giving it a cheap look. In theory, these blades are made so that I can store them in any place accessible to me.
Behind the back, on the belt or even in the sleeves, hence the size. Then there are a dozen ordinary throwing knives. In this regard, there was no particular variety, as well as quality, it simply was not a necessary consumable material, which the master simply refused to do like everyone else. Again, it looks like a piece of iron found in a trash heap. I'm exaggerating, of course, but the point is deeper.
Last comes my hatchet. It had to be redesigned, the external design, I categorically did not want to part with it in Basings, this is my weapon of last chance, it can be thrown and chopped, so I had to redo its handle and add negligence and wear to the metal. It still looks good enough to be consumer goods, but now at least you can squint at what you found/stolen, etc. In general, the idea is clear.
Now I would like to try all this.
As they say, remember the ray, here comes the sun. Once we finished doing everything, without thinking about anything, we went to our standard sparring place, where the master with his sword and I with the rapier began the battle.
It took me about five minutes to get used to the new weight and other characteristics of the weapon, but as the master predicted, it seemed even more convenient to me than the previous one.
And everything would have been fine if Azula had not come out to train at that moment. Which immediately demanded a duel.
"I'll leave you, I think, I think you can handle it anyway," the Master decided to run away, "Aki, it's best for you to train your new weapon."
And with these words, proudly raising his head and not looking into my eyes, which expressed the whole gamut of my emotions, he walked in the direction of his office. It is possible to mark new weapons.
More precisely, even most likely.
"Show me what this new weapon is," the princess gave the order. At the same time, supposedly casually curiously searching me with his eyes in search of it.
"Here," I said, drawing two daggers from behind my back with both hands. They were sheathed on the lower back, so to get them out, I had to grab the handles and move my hands in different directions - daggers made of the highest quality metal, disguised as ordinary consumer goods.
- And... why are you sure that this is not ordinary consumer goods? Azula raised one eyebrow. No, I understand that the bandits on the road look really unattractive with people like that, they would rather go out to rob, but logically she should have thought about it.
"Because I personally made them with the Master and then gave them this look," I shrugged, "the fighting qualities did not suffer from this." In theory. In any case, I still have to adapt to this weapon. After a long rapier, switching to two short daggers is still a pleasure.
"Pfft," Azula replied, "I still don't understand why you're running around with those pieces of iron." You are a Fire Mage and this is your main weapon.
"You are saying this in the estate of Master Piandao," I almost hissed, squinting and staring at Azul, "to his student." These are not pieces of iron. This is a weapon that I trust much more than Fire Magic - and I didn't lie, I don't have fire magic either, but I'm silent about air magic.
"Listen, it's definitely not in your ancestors... but it doesn't matter, the thinking is on point," said a voice in my head... a voice. And he fell silent.
I've even gotten used to his random phrases and comments.
"No, I didn't wake up by accident..." he started to say, but Azula interrupted him, without knowing it.
- So prove it! Let me fight with magic, and you only with your daggers, huh? — it seems it was a well-placed trap and I fell into it.
"...So even I didn't wake up by chance. Now is a very good moment to test our interaction with you," said the spirit, "Wear your mask so that your red eyes are not visible and do not use magic. My strengthening of just your body is enough for you to defeat her. But you only have a couple of minutes, I can't give you more," said the spirit.
Why waste precious minutes of our interaction for training?
"Don't be a fool, I always have supplies, and you obviously need to get used to this power. The main thing is not to kill her by accident, otherwise we will look for the avatar like partisans," said the spirit.
- Well. Let's. — I said, pulling my mask over my face and taking a fighting stance. I took one dagger with the correct grip, and the other with the opposite grip.
A second later, I directly felt how energy filled me and how Azula, who had already begun to move, literally slowed down before my eyes.
Well, she decided to spar herself.
***
"Well, you are two stubborn sheep, there's no other way to say it," said my voice in my head.
Well, here he is right and there is no other way to say it.
In general, none of us were going to give up. And we fought for a long time. A very long time.
With the speed of reactions given by the spirit, I made Azula run around the entire arena. She moved too slowly for me, and I managed to dodge the fire that he was just starting to release.
On the other hand, my reaction speed and just speed still did not help me get closer to the princess within striking distance of a dagger. If with a rapier - yes, then with a dagger - definitely not.
The trouble is with this princess and who she is, she grew up to be such a genius.
Although, I must note, if I add air to this bundle, then Azula simply has no chance. Here the distance of the strike does not matter, and the blades will cut through the fire like their own, despite the entire temperature of the blue fire.
In general, we had a stalemate in which we were for quite a long time, until I finally got it. True, with a kick, with a strong blow to the body.
Nevertheless, my enhancement waved its hand at me, but by that time Azula was as tired as a dog and with the usual reaction speed it was enough for me that she did not have time to rest.
In general, even if it was a real fight, the victory would have been mine. Unfortunately, Fire magicians are very strong, but they get tired faster than anyone else.
It seems to me that this is due to the fact that they conquer the elements. Airbenders, like waterbenders, rather go with the flow of their magic, but firebenders are against it.
Earthen ones are neither here nor there; the earth has no flow. Hykh.
This is exactly how I feel about local magic. That is, fire magic is, to some extent, the easiest to learn, it is the most powerful for combat, but a person also gets tired faster.
And so on exactly the opposite of air magic. It takes a very long time to study, it would seem to be least suitable for combat, but it is almost impossible to get tired of using it.
Unless, of course, a tornado hits the forest floor, yeah. Then it's easy to get tired, because then I go against the elements and literally conquer it.
In any case, what I mean is that our princess was tired and her magic became many times stronger, well, naturally, after my and her speed, where she was very behind, but really wanted to win and spared no effort in trying to catch me area.
In general, we gave up when we both collapsed exhausted. And when they surrendered, everyone said that they would rise as soon as they won.
Ugh.
- Why are you avoiding me? - the princess asked point-blank.
- Where did you get the idea? - I fell like a fool. I am not me and the house is not mine.
"Don't start," Azula growled, "Are you my assistant or what?" Should I come up with a plan to take Basingse myself? Or maybe you would deign to help me?
- Isn't it too early? - I raised one eyebrow, although she doesn't see it: we are both just looking at the sky, - we will have a lot of time on the ship, Maurer will be nearby with his considerable experience and I will not be busy with business. I'm more interested in the avatar in this matter. What are we going to do with him?
"The easiest thing is to kill," the princess shrugged. Our women and children are a symbol of peace on the planet - what else can we do with it?
"It's easier, but not easier," I breathed.
And how can you tell us that we'll fucking kill him. Only head-on, and there are no options yet? It wasn't just that the spirit poured out to me like a nightingale that an avatar is also luck in its purest form, that it's simply impossible to catch him somehow, and if someone thinks he's lucky, then on the contrary he's lucky.
"Anyway, I would like to ask a sensitive question, how do you feel about Zuko?" - I decided.
- Zuzu? - the princess asked with a strange intonation, - what is it?
"Hmm, probably nothing," I said.
- No, tell me! Azula ordered.
But I no longer answered this. Should I tell her to pick up her brother?
Now? No, really. She won't agree or I'll still have to find myself.
Perhaps, first we ourselves will slightly chase the avatar, and then we will understand the hopelessness.
In this regard, Zuko is disruptive and sometimes even reckless.
At the same time, he does well, if only he had a little more experience and less impulsiveness.
Oh, I praise Zuko what I've come to. And this asshole pissed me off. Quite a lot.
"In any case, not now," I snapped and fell silent. But apparently Azula wanted to talk, during all the time she sat here. There is no one to talk to at all.
- Why do you click when you cast magic? - the princess suddenly asked a question, - I've seen different methods, but this...
"Because I'm a crooked sorcerer," I chuckled, "I can't cause the flame myself." I can only divide... - there is no need for such words, fanning in itself the word sends to the wrong place - in general, I can only increase the existing flames. Therefore, by clicking, I strike a spark, gloves made of a special material and ignite the flame," I admitted.
"Unexpectedly," Azula replied after several minutes of silence.
- Yeah. They thought that I was incomplete without magic, but that's how it is," I chuckled.
- Do not dare! - Azula jumped up sharply from something, despite the loss of strength she even jumped up, - people without magic are not inferior! They are such strong personalities!
"Hey, hey, slow down," and why was she so touched that she stood up and stomped towards me, who was calmly lying down, "I didn't call anyone inferior." My Master, a man whom I respect very much, does not know magic. I said that I was considered that way.
"Hmm," was all the princess said instead of apologizing for the attack and left.
And why is she?
"You're a dunce," the spirit chuckled, "But I'm not here for pimping. Maybe you can finish it yourself"
What?
"So, what did you learn from the fight with Azula?" - the master asked me.
"That I really lack the length of the blade," I exhaled, "and with these knives I can defeat an opponent weaker than me, but not even an equal." And if we take the quantity...
"The number of the enemy does not make him stronger, don't you know that," the master chuckled, "to meet someone equal in strength to you is another task." So don't worry too much. In the end, you always have aces up your sleeve at different levels.
- I'm not too worried about this. "I would rather like to master blades more," I complained.
"You'll master it," the master nodded, "during training." I have given you more than a good foundation; you will understand how to use any weapon if you are given a little time. The main thing is to train and don't be lazy.
- Yes. And also eat porridge in the morning, right? — I chuckled, "Master, maybe some more wise advice?"
"Yes," the Master narrowed his eyes, "when you marry Azula, don't forget to call me."
"Ha ha, very funny," I replied, shaking my head.
"Yeah, funny, funny," the Master chuckled, "do you think you're solving something here?" If necessary, he will seduce. If she doesn't, she'll seduce her anyway and throw her out," Piandao continued, looking at my incredulous face, "Do you think she wasn't taught the right things?
"Is she some kind of honey kunoichi that they teach this?"
"No, of course, but a girl needs to be able to somehow confuse a guy," the master chuckled, "and I'm sure you will have to, you'll run after her with drool."
"Oh, you underestimate your student," I chuckled, "unlike you, I don't run after every skirt." So somehow I'll hold out.
- Oh well
- "Oh well"
Said two voices in my head. The devils have sung together, now they speak with one voice. How difficult it is to live.
"In any case, you will remember these words later, but now let's start our sparring," said the Master.
Without answering these words, I rushed at him with daggers. Of course, he beat me with one sword to zero, I could not touch him. If the rapier is my weapon and here it's already at least somewhat "equal"...
"It doesn't work," said the spirit, "he gives in to you. His contact with... in general, he is strong and experienced. You care about him like the moon"
"Well, I'd like to live in it," I snapped.
"If I could, I would settle," Vatu answered laconically, "But I can't. Okay, okay, don't be upset, kid, but you have great potential, that's why I chose you."
"Calmed me down," - I'm bursting here in Basings, and he's talking about potential. I need kinetic energy, not potential energy.
"That's why you train," the spirit finally added and fell silent.
However, training with the Master helped me a lot in mastering daggers. The longer we fought, the better I felt them. My lethal power with a rapier is as close as I can get to the moon, but it's already somehow digestible. If you add wind, spirit and magic, even with such a weapon I must be a death machine no less.
After washing, I decided to sit down and draw again. It was evening, there was nothing to do, and then surprise, I again met a training Shark. No, no, I don't know her schedule and I don't follow her.
There was no such thing, I say.
In any case, as usual, I wanted to see if I could draw a new picture, but this time she started one Kato.
A familiar Kato, something May once showed me, back on the Coal Islands. In fact, from that island, this is one of the moments that I remember very well. Then, hypnotized, I watched the girl and now, I looked at Azula and even though I was physically here, mentally I was sitting in my past.
Someday I will find May. And I apologize for my emergency escape.
Most likely, she is now a very good Fire Mage and can really be found in the army. On the other hand, there is a possibility that she went headlong into the aristocracy and is now married to some idiot.
In any case, there was no point in staying here any longer. And the very next day, we said goodbye to the Master and went with the whole caravan to the ship.
Before that, of course, I gave Piandao my paintings, took my money, and finally received a couple of instructions. Nothing critical.
Well, is it time to go to the continent of Earth?